


With a love that won't sit still

by Flavortext



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Beau is in love, F/F, Jester compliments her crush in very sweet ways, fancy parties, idk this is just. soft i hope, implied caleb/fjord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-21 04:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19996069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flavortext/pseuds/Flavortext
Summary: Beau and Jester have a conversation about word choice. Caleb regrets his seating arrangement. Semi-detailed descriptions of fashion.





	With a love that won't sit still

**Author's Note:**

> title - stray italian greyhound by Vienna Tang
> 
> Beaujester is almost at 300 fics and I really wanted us to hit it tonight.
> 
> Someone in the Critical Girls asked if Jester had ever called Beau handsome and I became immediately possessed. Here's the result.

Beau stops fiddling with her hair and lets her hands fall to her side. She’s in one of the guest bedrooms at the Chateau, Fjord’s specifically. The half-orc is sitting on the bed carefully tying his shoe, already dressed up in his new suit, hair slicked back. Beau looks down at her own suit, cut differently because Marion, bless her for even buying the clothes for them in the first place, but, had gotten her a women’s outfit. It even fits  _ right _ , technically, so Beau doesn’t feel like she has an excuse to be mad. She tugs at the sleeves and tosses her bowtie ( _ Purple,  _ to match Jester’s dress that she hasn’t been allowed to see yet, actually) at Fjord. It bounces off his head and onto the bed. 

“Hey!” He says, glaring at her. His real accent is still a little bit of a shock, but he’s so much  _ happier _ now, Beau feels a swell of pride every time he talks. It’s annoying, how much she cares for her friend. Beau sticks out her tongue and turns around, lifting her hair back up and tying it into a quick but presentable bun. 

“Tie it on me?” She asks, studying her equally hasty eyeliner in the mirror. She hasn’t had time to really do that in ages, but she likes how it suits her face. It doesn’t even feel to feminine, how she does it, just brings attention to the blue of her eyes against her dark skin. Fjord comes into the frame of the mirror behind her, holding the bow tie. Beau straightens up and stays still while he tucks it under the collar of her shirt and ties it off. 

“Where’d you learn to do that?” Beau asks when he’s done, gesturing at his own dark blue tie. Fjord scratches the back of his head. 

“Caleb taught me, actually, earlier. I’d never had the occasion.” He’s blushing, which, ew, so Beau doesn’t comment, just thanks him and checks her hair again in his mirror before deeming herself ready. 

Perfectly timed, there’s a knock at the door. 

“We’re all ready guys!” Jester’s voice sing-songs through the wood. Fjord goes to the door and opens it, glancing back at Beau. 

“Ready?” He asks, already stepping out. Beau kicks herself into gear and follows. 

The rest of the Mighty Nein is already gathered in the hallway. Caleb is wearing a matching suit to Fjord’s, with a red tie, and has a little braid in his hair, probably courtesy of Nott. Nott herself is disguised as Veth, wearing her armor but changed to a nicely cut yellow dress, and is decked out in jewelry. Beau even thinks most of it isn’t stolen. Caduceus is in an embroidered tunic and flowy pants and sporting a very nice pearl necklace. He takes a small handbag from Jester as she meets him in the hall, having spun away from Fjord’s door. 

Beau does a very good job not gawking, she thinks, at Jester. She’s wearing a purple dress like she’d said, with a low cut back and sheer sleeves that cinch at the wrists, and beautiful silver embroidery for the trim. It offsets her blue skin so well it almost hurts to look at, and she is wearing sparkly makeup and lots of matching jewelry and Beau tears her eyes away, towards the floor, as she shuffles down the hall to gather with the group. Fjord brushes past her and stands next to Caleb and Caduceus. Beau leans up against the wall and tries not to shrink away when Jester spins around to face her. 

“Beau!” Jester squeals, immediately grabbing Beau’s shoulders. Her tail swishes excitedly back and forth under her dress. 

“Hey, Jes. You look great.” Beau says lamely, still not quite able to look at Jester. She settles on the silver cap of her left horn and smiles. 

“So do you!” Jester reaches up and straightens Beau’s bowtie. “We match!” Beau forces herself to glance at Jester and smile more earnestly. 

“Told you,” Beau says, before stealing herself and looking to the rest of the group. “Shall we go crash this thing?” She asks. Caleb gives a nod, taking Nott’s hand, and starts to lead them out of the hall and down the steps. Jester takes Beau’s and tugs her along. 

“I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about Lord Sharp!” Jester chirps, leaning into Beau as they step out into the cold air. Bluude is waiting by a carriage and helps boost Nott up into the seat. Fjord pulls himself in after, and Caduceus easily steps up. Caleb says something to them before turning back around to the girls. They’d argued nearly an hour over seating arrangements, before settling on one cleric per carriage and a good mix of ranged spellcasting and physical damage. They  _ probably _ won’t get attacked at all, on the way or at the event, but they’re being careful. Beau stops herself from replaying the plan again and focuses on squeezing Jester’s hand. Caleb gives them a smile and turns to the second carriage, managing to get himself up into it on his own. 

“Good luck, Jester. Have a good time.” Bluude says pleasantly, signaling the driver of the first carriage that he’s good to go. Jester gives Bluude a thumbs up. 

“We’re gonna do great!” She says, looking over at Beau. Beau smiles and nods along. Jester is still holding her hand. Beau lets herself be led to the carriage and manages not to yell or elbow Jester in the face when she’s  _ lifted _ up into it. Jester giggles and climbs up after her with a boost from Bluude, shoving Beau back into the seat across from Caleb.

Caleb gives her a  _ look _ as she sits, as Jester gives a last hug to Bluude and waves to her mother at the door. Beau glares at him, but it’s broken by Jester sitting down and immediately leaning into her, taking her hand all over again. 

“You look so pretty, Beau!” Jester says as the wheels under them start to turn. Beau stares at their hands and makes a noncommittal noise. 

“Handsome?” Jester says, a little quieter. Beau snaps her head up to look Jester in the eyes. She’s wearing like an absurd amount of glitter. It’s distracting, she almost doesn’t catch what the tiefling says. “Would you prefer I called you handsome?” Jester asks softly. Beau swallows. 

“I-” She glances briefly at Caleb, who is pointedly looking out the window of their carriage, twisting a copper wire that’s been braided into a ring around his finger. “Maybe?” Beau says, voice quiet and cracked. She can tell she’s blushing. Jester squeezes her hand. 

“Okay, you look really handsome, then!” She says, easy as breathing, and then settles back a little in her seat. Her foot brushes Beau’s, they’re pressed nearly hip to hip in the small seat. 

“Thanks,” Beau says, not sure if Jester even hears her. Her heart beats fast but she forces herself to breathe, and slowly it calms. They start to slow, bumping along a differently paved path, and Jester excitedly leans out her own window. Beau is stricken by the way the moonlight glints off the jewels in her ears. 

“This is going to be so fun!’ Jester says, leaning back in and turning towards Beau. “It’s almost like a real date, except we also get to do some espionage!” Jester says happily. Beau splutters and Caleb very pointedly turns his chuckle into a cough. 

“Right. Date.” Beau says when her brain catches up. Jester hardly seems to notice, looking back out towards the window. Beau looks at their hands, resting on her thigh and intertwined tightly. 

_ Tell her how you feel if you survive the night, Beauregard. For all our sakes.  _

Caleb’s voice echoes in her head. Beau glares at him, but he’s not even looking at her. 

_ Fuck you. _ Beau responds mentally, jolting a little as they come to a stop. Jester squeals and is already pushing open their door, now lit by a mix of lanterns and arcane lights that adorn the front of the manor. She tugs Beau out of her seat and steadies her as they hop to the ground. Jester links their arms, tail wrapping around Beau’s leg for a second in a way that would probably make it really hard to walk, before releasing to swish behind her. Beau looks at her, gleaming and grinning as she searches the line of carriages for the rest of their party. Caleb bumps her shoulder as he disembarks. 

“Shall we get on with the night?” He asks evenly. 

“Yes!” Jester says, perking up as she spots a tall pink-haired figure over some bushes. “C’mon!” She tugs Beau along, starting to ramble about what songs the band might play, and how excited she is to dance with Beau. She doesn’t even mention the idea of dancing with anyone else. Beau knows she’s fighting a losing battle controlling her blush, can read it in Fjord’s face when they join up with him, but she can’t find it in herself to care. Jester’s skin is cool against her side, she smells of lavender soap and the lingering hint of oil paints and Beau couldn’t be more happy to pretend, even if just for a night. 

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't technically for Beaujester week but check out that tag please!!!  
> find me @ transfjord on tumblr


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